- Add Milk to Your Bath
Grab the milk and put some in the bathtub. Milk contains lactic acid that helps keep moisture in the skin (see link in References). Add 1 qt. milk to a full tub of warm water. Do not make the water too hot, or you will dry out and irritate the skin even further. If you do not have time for a full bath but want quick relief, put the cold milk in a bowl and use a washcloth to dab it on the irritated skin, just like Grandma used to do.
Fresh out of milk? Add some oatmeal to your bath water. Place dry oatmeal in a cheesecloth and tie it up, then tie the cheesecloth so it hangs under the running water as your bath fills. After you have filled the tub, use the sack of oatmeal as a washcloth. - Petroleum Jelly Moisturizes.
Do not forget about your skin after your bath. Now is the time to make sure that the moisture from the bath stays in your skin. The best time to apply a moisturizer is within 3 minutes of taking a bath, while the skin is still retaining some water. The top home remedy for dry skin moisturizer is petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly puts a barrier on the skin. It seals the moisture in the skin and protects drying agents from coming in contact with the skin.
After your bath, cover your entire body, or just the dry, itchy patches with petroleum jelly. Leave on all day. A favorite recommendation for soft hands and feet is to apply the petroleum jelly, then cover the hands and feet with cotton gloves and socks. Leave on overnight and notice how smooth your skin is in the morning. - Drink Water.
When you ask someone for an old home remedy to relieve dry, itchy skin the most common answer is drink water, and with good reason. Water hydrates the skin from the inside as much as from the outside. Water is needed for all cells to function properly, including skin cells. For skin cells to reproduce, which allows the old, dead skin to slough off, they need water. Water also helps protect the skin from sun damage, which increases dryness.
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